Police say deaths are apparently murder, suicide

Police have confirmed that they believe deaths of a Madison woman and her estranged husband were the result of a murder-suicide.

Bernard Grosso, 34, died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Madison police.

Jennifer Boyce, 30, was found dead in her apartment in the 6800 block of Milwaukee Street around 10:35 a.m. Thursday. Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said police believe Boyce was killed after midnight early Wednesday morning.

Friends and family say they didn’t see it coming.

“The entire community is just in shock and I think we're still dealing with that shock, and it will take a long time for us to make sense of it,” said Eric Larson, owner of Endurance House, the east side athletic store where Boyce led evening runs.

Police entered and searched Grosso’s home in the 3800 block of Atwood Avenue with a SWAT team after finding Boyce.

“We had gleaned information late yesterday that our suspect in this case was likely armed, so we did go in with the SWAT team with a search warrant last night,” DeSpain said.

Police said a loaded assault rifle and another firearm were recovered from the home.

Police have not disclosed how Boyce was killed but said she suffered multiple injuries.

There is no record of disputes between the two, according to police. They said some neighbors heard noises from Boyce's apartment Wedneday morning but didn't call police.

The couple was due in court Friday to finalize a divorce.

Madison's forensic team continued collecting evidence from the victim's home Thursday evening.

Investigators have been focusing on a first-floor patio door that was shattered.

Boyce was working as an epidemiologist at the state Division of Public Health.

Her family spoke with WISC-TV by phone from their Ballwin, Mo., home, and said they learned about Boyce's death from local detectives around dinner time.

Her stepmother, Dixie Boyce, said she doesn't believe the homicide was a random act.